Automatic head-gate.



K. F. KEELER.

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APPLICATION FILED JAN-22, 1916- 1210944. Patented Jan. 2, 1917.

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K. F. KEELER.

AUTOMATIC HEAD GATE.

APPLICATION FILED IAN-22, 19l6- Patented Jan. 2,1917.

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K. F. KEELER.

AUTOMATIC HEAD GATE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 22, 1916.

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my. KEELER. AUTOMATIC HEAD GATE.

APPLlCATlON FILED JAN. 22,1916.

lfilQQ. Patented J an. 2, 1917.

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KARL F. KEELER, OF PROVO, UTAH, ASSIGNOB TO KEELER AUTOMATIC HEADGATE COMPANY, OF PROVO, UTAH, A CORPORATION OF UTAH.

AUTOMATIC HEAD-GATE.

Application filed January 22, 1916.

T0 at whom it may concern Be it known that I, KARL F. KEELER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Provo, in the county of Utah and State of Utah, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Automatic Head-Gates, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to automatic headgates of the general character shown in my prior patents, numbers 1,138,485, granted May 4th, 1915, and 1,147,948, granted July 27th, 1915.

The general object of the present invention is to produce a device of this class which shall be certain and accurate of 0peration untler all circumstances. As contributing to this general object, it is my purpose, first, to provide mountings by which the gate shall move, practically without friction; second, to provide durable and automatically compensating means for suspending the gate; third, to provide manually operated means cooperating with the automatically operating means for controlling the flow past the gate; fourth, to provide means for indicating the rate of flow past the gate; fifth, to provide means for keeping the device free from floating debris; sixth, to provide means for preventin the collection of sediment in the gate box; seventh, to provide means for prevent ing the leakage of water at points where leakage is liable to occur; eighth, to provide certain refinements which will become apparent as the description proceeds.

I obtain my objects by the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective of the principal parts of the invention showing the same in assembled relation. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of an installation of the invention, the section being indicated by the line 2-2, Fig. 4. Fig. 3 is a plan section on the line 3' 3, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a vertical section on the line 44, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the installation with the cover removed. Fig. 6 is a plan section on the line 6-6, Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a vertical section on the line 77, Fig. 1. Fig. 8 is a perspective of the headgate, including the water box which operates it, and Fig. 9 is a perspective of one of the brackets which supports the cantaliver sprin Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 2, 1917.

Serial No. 73,539.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

While the principle of this invention may be'used for controlling the flow of any ordinary liquid from any ordinary duct or container, it is well adapted for irrigation purposes and is illustrated as installed in an irrigating system. In the case illustrated in the drawings, a conduit 1 of irregular shape is formed of concrete, wood or other suitable material and serves as a duct for the water and a housing for the parts by which the flow of water is controlled. Within this conduit is a headgate which consists of a box 2, formed preferably of sheet metal. and having an opening 3 in front near the bottom for the admission of water. By preference this opening is guarded by a screen 4. In front of the box is a stationary front sheet 5 fastened to a frame 6 secured to the conduit. Between the bottom of the plate and the bottom of the conduit is a discharge opening 8, through which the water flows from that part 9 of the conduit where the head of water is variable to that part 10 through which the water is discharged. The vertical movement of the headgate across this opening controls the flow of water through it. In the best construction a depending lip or flange 12 is formed at the bottom of the headgate and extends entirely across the opening 8 to assist in regulating the flow as explained in said Patent No. 1,147,948.

The headgate is supported upon canta liver springs 14 which are fastened at the front end by bolts 15 or otherwise to cantaliver brackets 16 and at the rear ends articulately connected by pivots 17 to brackets 18 fastened to and rising from the rear end of the gate. Said springs consist preferably of flat pieces of resilient non-corroding metal, lying flatwise upon the curved shelves 20 of the brackets 16 as shown in perspective in Fig. 1. The brackets 16 are bolted or otherwise secured to the stationary framework 6 and the shelves 20 are curved from front to rear, the convex surface being upward as shown separately in Fig. 9. The parts are so designed and proportioned that when the headgate is empty the springs will cause it to occupy its highest position of travel and give maximum area through the opening or control-port 8. At this time the length of the spring decreases as the headgate becomes heavier, and increases as the headgate becomes lighter. By preference the brackets 18 are bifurcated and the springs make a quarter turn at the rear end to pass between their branches. As a result of this construction the headgate is free to move vertically, almost without friction, and yet it is effectually prevented from becoming laterally displaced. The headgate is guided.

at the lower end by brackets 22 fastened to the stationary frame 6 and having fastened to themstrips of spring steel 23 which are in turn fastened to the arms 2%. At the rear end of arms 24 are fastened strips 25 of spring steel and these are fastened at the rear end to lugs 26, fastened to the back of the'headgate box as best shown in Figs. 1, 6 and .8. This construction has the advantage of dispensing with the ordinary articulated joints which are objectionable because apt to rust and become clogged with mineral matter. With my construction vertical motion is made possible through the flexibility of the springs, and as these springs and the arms connecting them are arranged flatwise they are very effective in preventing sidewise movement of the box either transversely or from front to rear. Consequently the flexibly connected arms 24 cooperate with the springs 14 to make the headgate travel always vertically without contacting any of the stationary parts which inclose it and hence, practically without friction. On this account, also, it becomes practicable to makea close fit between the vertically movable headgate and the surrounding stationary parts, especially the front plate 5. This reduces the amount of leakage past the gate.

. In the best construction the box portion of the headgate is provided with a plurality of vertical partitions 30 which extend almost to the bottom but leave a small space of'one-half inch or so for the passage of water. At the back of the box portion of the headgate are slots 31. These are preferably about 1- inch high and extend practically across the width of the box. The purpose of these and of the spaces under the partitions is to let a small amount of water flow through in a stream and thus scour the bottom of the headgate box and prevent the deposition of sediment.

I provide a manually operated shut-ofl valve for controlling the effective width of the opening 8. This consists of a gate 35 traveling in guides 36 forming part of the stationary framework. By adjusting this gate any desired portion of the port 8 may be closed off, the headgate then operating automatically to control the balance of the effective area ofthe port. In order to re duce to a minimum the leakage past the shut-off valve, I form a flange 37 at the rear vertical edge of the valve (as best shown in Fig. 3) in such'position that when the valve 18 closed said flange Wlll engage one of the members of the stationary frame desirable to form a slot 6 at the far edge of the conduit for receiving the advance edge of the shut-off valve as shown at theleft side of Fig. This, cooperating withthe guide members 36 at the top and bottom of the valve, reducesfileakage to a minimum when the valve is closed. This shutoff valve is operated by means of a pinion 38 meshing with rack 39 fastened to the face of the valve. The pinion is operated by a red 40 journale d in suitable brackets 41 and operated by means of a hand-wheel 42 located in a convenient position near the top of the apparatus. My apparatus may be regarded, therefore, as capable of controlling the flow either automatically, or manually, or through the cooperation of both manual and automatic mechanism. 7

As the valve 35 will often be submerged and therefore out-of sight it is desirable to provide means near the upper portion of the apparatus for indicating the position of the valve. While the indicating means may assume various forms, I have illustrated suitable mechanism, in which a pointer 45 is pivoted at the lower end to the valve and fulcrumed between its ends upon the pin &6 carried by the stationary front sheet5 as best shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The pointer has a slot 47 through which the fulcrum pin 6L6 passes, the object being to permit the necessary longitudinal movement of the pointer. The end of the pointer passes over a suitably graduated dial 428 fastened to the front of the front sheet.

In order to prevent sticks, weeds or other floating debris from entering the headgate it is frequently desirable to provide screening means, as for example, the hood 50, (see Figs. 4 and 5). This hood may be of concrete, integral with the rest ofthe conduit, or, it may be of any other suitable material. This forms chamber 9 in front of the controlling apparatus as previously mentioned. This chamber communicates with the main canal through a grating 51 supplemented by an oblique screen 52. These parts are re movable and hence permit the chamber to be cleaned in case of necessity.

To prevent tampering, I provide a lock cover 55, (see Figs. 2 and 4) said cover resting upon the top of the conduit and secured by a hinge 56. At the edge remote from the hinge I provide any suitable form of looking device 57.

In installing the device in the bank of an irrigating canal, for example, the device is set at the head of the lateral ditch or duct which is to take the Water. The parts are placed at such elevation that the top of the front sheet 5 will come as high as the highest water level which may be expected in the main canal. In operation, if the level of the water in the source is low and does not reach the lower edge of the lip 12, there will be no automatic controlling action, and the how will be regulated simply by adjusting the position of the transversely movable gate If the water level in the source rises slightly above the lower edge of the lip, it tends to pile up in front of the lip, but on the other hand a swirl will be produced at the back, as suggested in Fig. 4, and the contraction of the stream at this point will have a balancing effect so that within certain limits the level may vary between the lower and upper edge of the lip without producing much, if any, vertical movement of the headgate. As soon as the level. in the source rises above the floor of the headgate, water will enter through the screen 4, This adds to the weight of the gate thereby creating a tendency for the gate to descend and neutralize the tendency toward increased flow by reason of the increased head (it being understood, of course, that the flow of water through an orifice increases as the head behind the orifice increases). As the level in the source rises, the level in the headgate will rise and the weight of the headgate will. increase. On account of the cantaliver construction of the springs, however, and the curved formation of the supporting shelves 20, the unsupported portion of the cantaliver springs will grow shorter. This is equivalent to making the springs stiffer, from which it follows that in my device an increase in weight of the headgate by uniform increments lowers the gate by increments of constantly decreasing size. This renders the gate quite accurate in keeping the flow of water constant. Of course, as the water level in the source lowers, the reverse action will take place and the headgate will rise.

It is desirable to form the operating parts of metal and as most of the parts are more or less constantly subjected to the action of moisture it is desirable that certain parts be made of metal which is non-corrosive or approximately so. For example, it is desirable that the cantaliver springs 14 and also the sprin 8 and 25 be constructed of noncorrosive metal. It will be noted that in my device, in its preferred form, the headgate does not make actual sliding contact with any of the parts surrounding it; for example, it is preferably 1; of an inch or so behind the front sheet 5. Similarly, it is separated from the parts which inclose it at the sides and back. This is of great advantage, for it not only prevents the friction which would arise from ordinary rubbing of the gate upon the surrounding objects, but it avoids the need of guides or other contrivances which could readily become clogged by silt or rust.

Having thus described my invention, wha I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The combination with a fluid conduit, of a vertically movable headgate provided with a receptacle and an opening leading thereinto for admitting water to increase or decrease the weight of the gate in accordance with the increase or decrease of level in the source, and a spring rigidly supported at one end and free to move vertically at the other, said gate being suspended from the movable portion of said spring whereby the spring both supports the gate and guides it.

2. The combination with a fluid conduit of a headgate movable relatively thereto and provided with a receptacle having an opening through which the fluid may enter to increase or decrease the weight of the gate in accordance with the variation of head in thesource, and a spring for supporting said gate, said spring being rigidly supported at one end and having a shelf arranged beneath it, said shelf being curved whereby, as the free end of the spring descends, a greater portion of the spring will contact the shelf.

3. The combination with a fluid conduit of a headgate movable relatively thereto and provided with a receptacle having an opening through which the fluid may enter to increase or decrease the weight of the gate in accordance with the variation of head in the source, and flat spring elements rigidly supported at one end and at the other end connected to said gate, one of said springs being connected near the upper end of the gate and the other near the lower end of the gate and said springs being approximately horizontal both as to their length and width whereby they are capable of bending in a vertical direction and resist pressure applied in any direction in a horizontal plane.

4. The combination with a fluid conduit of a headgate movable relatively thereto and provided with a receptacle having an opening through which the fluid may enter to increase or decrease the weight of the gate in accordance with the variation of head in the source, and a pair of flat cantaliver springs forsuspending and guiding said gates.

5. The combination of a stationary front sheet, a headgate movable relatively thereto for controlling the flow past it, flat springs rigidly supported at one end and at the other end connected to said headgate, said springs being arranged flatwise and parallel to each other whereby said springs may bend in a vertical direction and effectually resist pressure exerted in any direction in a horizontal plane.

6. In a headgate the combination of a stationary front sheet, a headgate movable relatively thereto for controlling the flow past it, cantaliver brackets having curved shelves arranged with their convex surfaces upward, the axis of curvature being parallel to the front sheet, and flat cantaliver springs supported at one end upon the shelves of said brackets, the free end of said springs being connected to said gate.

7. In a headgate the combination of a stationary front sheet, a headgate movable approximately parallel and adjacent to said sheet for controlling the flow past it, said gate being guided, top and bottom, by flat springs, one end of each spring being rigidly supported and the opposite end connected to the gate, said springs being arranged approximately horizontally both as to their length and their breadth whereby they are free to flex vertically and resist movement in any horizontal direction.

, S. The combination with a fluid conduit f a headgate movable vertically with respect thereto for controlling the flow of water, said gate being provided with a re ceptacle having an opening in the front near the bottom for admitting water, a pair of stationary cantaliver brackets having curved shelves, the convex surface of the shelves being upward and having a horizontal axis of curvature transverse to the direction of flow in the conduit, cantaliver springs arranged flatwise and secured at one end upon said shelves, the opposite end of said springs being connected to said gate, and means located near the bottom of said gate for guiding it in a vertical direction.

9. In a. device of the class described, the combination of a fluid duct, a vertically movable headgate for automatically varying the available passage through said duct,

said headgate having attached thereto a box-like structure with an opening near the bottom for admitting water into said box in accordance with the change inhead in the source, and manually operated'means movable across the duct approximately. at right angles to the path-of the headgate for determining the available width of passage through the duct, the controlling mechais nism thus being in part automatic and in part manually operated 10. In combination, a fluid conduit,cavertically movable headgate for controlling the available cross-sectional area of said conduit, said headgate having a' receptacle with an opening at the front near-the bottom foradmitting water, and a restricted outlet at the'back, near the bottom,rsaid vreceptacle having transverse partitions extending almost but not quite to the bottom 7 amount of spring in contact with thesup-c port.

12. The combination, with a fluid conduit, of a vertically movable headgate provided with a receptacle and an opening leadmg into it for admitting water from the source to increase or decrease the weight of the gate as the level in the source changes,

a spring yieldingly supporting said headgate, and a support forsaid spring, said spring rising tangentially from said support and the spring and its support both being extended over a horizontal plane whereby when the spring is forced downward as a result of an increase in weight of the headgate, the spring will find an unoccupied area on the support for the spring to descend onto.

In witness whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

KARL r. KEELEB.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. v 

